Since coming to power in late 2016, Shavkat Mirziyoyev has positioned Uzbekistan at the heart of a bold reimagining of Central Asia — not just as a region of disparate post-Soviet republics, but as a potentially cohesive bloc united by Infrastructure, trade and shared strategic vision. The transformation underway under his leadership has important implications not only for the people of Central Asia, but also for external partners such as Japan.

Uzbekistan’s vision for regional unity institutionalizing dialogue and cooperation

One of President Mirziyoyev's most consequential moves has been to formalize what had previously been loose, sporadic interactions among Central Asian states. By creating a regular “Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia." he established — from 2017 onward — a structured forum for dialogue covering political, economic, environmental and secu­rity issues.

This mechanism has gradually grown Into a backbone for regional cooperation. Over successive summits, par­ticipating countries have adopted binding documents and joint initiatives. A milestone came in August 2024, when the region's leaders endorsed the long-term plan known as “Central Asia — 2040". a roadmap envisag­ing an integrated region with coordinated transport, en­ergy. water-management and industrial strategies.

From trade to joint production: Economic integration in practice

Under the new framework. Central Asia's economic dynamics are shifting. Intrareglonal trade has grown roughly 4.5 times. What's more, investment flows with­in the region have doubled between 2016 and 2025.

Joint ventures are blossoming: the number of enter­prises with foreign (i.e., regional) capital in Uzbekistan has increased almost six-fold, while Uzbek capital pro­jects abroad have grown many times over. Border-ad­jacent trade and industrial zones, bilateral investment funds with neighboring states, and mutual projects In agriculture, electrical englneenng, textiles and the auto­motive sector are becoming the new norm.

Infrastructure connectivity — the physical basis of regional integration

President Mirziyoyev's strategy is not just about diplo­macy — It’s also about bocks. railways, roads and digi­tal platforms. Under Uzbekistan's auspices. Central Asia is realizing an agenda of connectivity: multimodal trans­port corridors, railway lines linking previously disconnect­ed zones and border-management reforms that speed up cargo transit and simplify customs and logistics.

The vision is for Central Asia to become a unified lo­gistics and industrial hub — a bridge between Europe and Asia. North and South. As one Uzbek foreign poli­cy manifesto puts it the region must become "a capa­cious, interconnected regional market, with integrated water-energy systems, common Industrial space and a shared environmental zone."

Recent milestones: Advances under Mirziyoyev

• March 2025 - Now border treaties among Central Asian nations: During a summit in Khujand, leaders of Uzbekistan. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan signed a land­mark border deal that transforms historic fault lines into zones of stability and opens the way for greater region­al cooperation.
• April 2025 - First ever summit between the European Union and Central Asia: Hosted by Uzbekistan in Samarkand, this summit ended with the adoption of a comprehensive strategic partnership. The EU committed a €12 billion ($13.2 billion) "Gateway" In­vestment package to expand infrastructure, energy, dig­ital connectivity and more.
• November 2025 - The C5+1 Summit at the White House: On November 6. the leaders of the five Central Asian republics met with U.S. President Donald J Trump in Washington. D.C., marking the first time the Central Asian heads of state convened in the U.S. cap­ital under the C5+1 framework.
• November 2025 - Proposal for a formal regional unity: In Tashkent, Shavkat Mirziyoyev floated tho idea of transforming the informal summit structure into a full- fledged regional organization — tentatively named the Community of Central Asia — to institutionalize cooper­ation in economics, security, environment and beyond.

Taken together, these developments reflect a pro­found shift: Central Asia is no longer a loose cluster of post-Soviet states but is being reconfigured as a coor­dinated. forward-looking regional entity.

What this means for Japan

Japan has long maintained friendly relations with Uzbekistan. Diplomatic ties date back to 1992; in 2002, the two countries signed the Joint Statement on Friendship, Strategic Partnership and Cooperation be­tween Japan and the Republic of Uzbekistan, the foun­dation of a stable bilateral partnership.

As Uzbekistan's regional profile rises, Japan's interest in Central Asia is intensifying. Analysts note that the pragmatic, region-wide initiatives introduced by Mirziyoyev have “activated" Japan's Central Asia foreign policy vector Tashkent's success in building cooperation among regional neighbors makes the entire area more accessible and attractive for Japanese engagement.

For Japan, there are several key opportunities:

• Investment and infrastructure: As Central Asia be­comes more integrated and connected, corridors for transport, energy, digital networks and trade open up — sectors where Japanese technology, capital and exper­tise could play an important role.
• Strategic partnership beyond bilateralism: Rather than dealing with Central Asian countries in isolation, Japan may find value in a regional approach — coop­erating with a united Central Asia bloc under common norms, standards and institutions.
• Regional stability, security and connectivity: A stable and unified Central Asia aligns with Japan's broader interests in Eurasian security, energy diversifi­cation and multilateral cooperation.

A new Central Asia — between promise and challenges

There is no doubt that President Mirziyoyev's agenda is ambitious, and the results so far are tangible. Through sustained diplomacy, trade. Infrastructure and institu­tional innovation. Uzbekistan is increasingly seen not merely as a national actor, but as the driver of regional integration.

Yet building true integration across five historically fractious republics Is a long-term undertaking. Challenges remain: bridging economic disparities, re­solving lingering border- and water-management dis­putes. aligning regulatory agendas and ensuring inclu­sive development so that the benefits reach people across all societies.

For partners like Japan, the path forward will require a delicate balance — supporting connectivity and eco­nomic growth, while respecting sovereignty, cultural di­versity and regional dynamics.

Why this matters — and what comes next

In an era of shifting global alignments, a stable, inte­grated Central Asia Is increasingly relevant. Under Shavkat Mirziyoyev's leadership, Uzbekistan seems de­termined to deliver exactly that. For Japan — a country with global vision and a history of engagement in Eurasia — this evolving Central Asia presents both op­portunity and strategic moment.

As the region moves toward a new level of unity — in­stitutional, economic, infrastructural — the next few years could decide whether the dream of a cohesive, peaceful and interconnected Central Asia becomes a durable reality.